With November coming to a close, the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office has presented a new campaign against counterfeit products with a slogan that translates to something like “When we say no to counterfeits, we all win.”
The campaign was presented by the acting minister Reyes Maroto with the aim of raising awareness among all citizens regarding the negative effects that buying and selling counterfeit products have on society as a whole.
“Los peores descuentos del mundo ¡Piérdetelos!” es el lema con el que esta mañana ha arrancado la nueva campaña contra las #falsificaciones presentada por la Ministra (e.f) @MarotoReyes e impulsada desde el @mincoturgob y la #OEPM. #stopfalsificaciones #lospeoresdescuentos pic.twitter.com/Dlawmep8DC
— OEPM (@OEPM_es) November 28, 2019
According to data from the EUIPO, losses in Spain during 2018 due to counterfeiting and piracy were around 6.7 billion euros, translating to the loss of 53,467 jobs.
Together, the total value of lost sales in Spain is equivalent to 146 euros per year for each Spanish citizen.
“The protection of industrial property is a priority for the Government, and therefore, for a year and a half, we have reinforced actions aimed at combating counterfeiting and, therefore, the violation of trademark and design rights,” explained the minister in a press release.
“We have put this challenge on the political and public agenda, to involve the greatest number of actors in the fight against counterfeiting.”
Las falsificaciones conllevan la destrucción de puestos de trabajo, pérdidas de ingresos en los sectores privado y público y una total pérdida de derechos para los consumidores. Diciendo no a la falsificación, ganamos todos #stopfalsificaciones #lospeoresdescuentosdelmundo pic.twitter.com/Sw3VtU6Elc
— OEPM (@OEPM_es) November 28, 2019
Furthermore, counterfeits don’t just have an economic cost. They also pose a risk to the health and safety of consumers themselves, which is why the Spanish authorities believe it is necessary to “change attitudes and behaviors regarding the acquisition of counterfeit products.”
In this sense, the campaign has been presented to coincide with Black Friday, which is when more are made, especially online, which is an environment where counterfeiters thrive.
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Sofia Vanoli
Editor